Music Education News

May 10, 2019

Policy and appropriations round-up

Congress is taking action in the coming weeks and months on an array of topics that impact the capacity of orchestras to serve their communities. Take a look below for the latest news, and set a time to meet with your elected officials as they return to their home districts and states for spring and summer breaks.

Arts education: The Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education is currently funded at $29 million. Good news! Last week, the House Appropriations Committee released the draft FY20 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill, which recommends a $6 million increase for the Arts in Education program for a total of $35 million. Orchestra advocates are encouraged to urge their elected officials to support $40 million for Assistance for Education programs and to fully fund the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants in Title IV, Part A at the U.S. Department of Education, which support a well-rounded education.

November 14, 2018

Fiscal year 2019 begins: where do things stand?

Just days before the end of the fiscal year, Congress passed a mixed package that finalized funding for some bills while buying time via a continuing resolution for several others. The Interior bill, which includes the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has not been finalized, so Congress has until December 7 to complete that FY19 allocation. While the Senate Appropriations Committee and the full House have so far approved an additional $2 million increase for both the NEA and NEH, the delay of this decision-making until after the midterm elections means advocates should stay tuned and be ready to contact their elected officials to shore up support with many other priorities expected to affect lame duck funding negotiations. One bill that was finalized included funding for the U.S. Department of Education, which preserved $29 million for the Assistance for Arts Education program and slightly increased the allocation for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAEG) program. The bipartisan support for these programs, among others, is also notable because the larger Labor-Health-and-Human-Services-Education bill is notoriously difficult to pass; in fact, it was last enacted in 1996. In other agency news, the President nominated Mary Anne Carter to serve as the chairman of the NEA. Carter has been serving as acting chairman since June, and her appointment to a four-year term will need to be confirmed by the Senate.

September 11, 2018

Just in time to celebrate National Arts in Education Week, the League of American Orchestras has updated and relaunched "Orchestras Support In-School Music Education," a statement of common cause first drafted in 2007 with input from more than 50 orchestras and revised in 2018. The statement--then and now--is a collective opportunity for orchestras to take local, community-specific action to improve access to music education in schools.

Orchestras are civic-minded community-based organizations, and together we can help improve access to the benefits of music learning by advocating for access to a complete in-school music education for all students. All orchestras--youth and adult; professional and community--are invited to join the national effort. Signing on is just the first step; we encourage orchestras to use the statement as a catalyst to start or renew conversations about supporting music education in the schools. Improving the education system requires support from the entire community--orchestras can do their part by mobilizing staff, musicians, trustees, and volunteers and by working with community partners toward common objectives.

Whether your orchestra is endorsing the statement for the first time or is among the 250 orchestras renewing a long-standing commitment, we welcome all to use the sign-on form to inform us about the advocacy work you are doing and to let us--and your community--know that you stand in support of increasing access to music education for all students.

July 25, 2018

Arts education funding moves forward

FY19 funding for Arts Education at the U.S. Department of Education has received a vote of confidence in both the House and Senate. The Appropriations Committees of both chambers approved their respective bills to fund the departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services, including $29 million for Arts in Education in FY19 - in fact, the Senate Committee calls for "no less than the fiscal year 2018 level" of $29 million. The full House and full Senate have yet to vote on the larger bills that contain this funding, so advocates are encouraged to contact their elected officials in support of robust Arts Education funding at the Education Department.

May 3, 2018

Arts education grant opportunity NOW open at U.S. Department of Education

Following a $2 million increase in funding approved by Congress for FY18, the U.S. Department of Education has announced a new grant opportunity under the Assistance for Arts Education Development & Dissemination (AAEDD) program. The four-year grants invest in arts-based educational programming in schools that increases access to standards-based arts education, integrates arts education into other subjects as part of a well-rounded education, and improves students' academic performance, including their knowledge and skills in creating, performing, and responding to the arts. These grants are awarded for school-based partnerships in which 20% or more of the students served are from families with an income below the Federal poverty line. The deadline for the notice of intent to apply is May 16, 2018, with a deadline of July 2, 2018 for transmitting the application. For more information, please visit the AAEDD applicant information webpage.

March 23, 2018

Congress Increases FY18 Arts Funding!

A bipartisan federal spending deal includes a $3 million increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)! At long last, Congress agreed on and passed a catch-all spending bill for FY2018, the current fiscal year that began on October 1, 2017. Despite proposals from the Trump Administration to terminate the NEA, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), each of these agencies and other arts-related initiatives are receiving increases, and the President has just signed the bill into law today.

FY18 by the numbers:

National Endowment for the Arts: $152.849 million ($3M increase)

National Endowment for the Humanities: $152.849 million ($3M increase)

Office of Citizen Exchange within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State: $111.4 million (same as FY17)

Corporation for Public Broadcasting: $445 million for FY20 (CPB is forward-funded)

Institute for Museum and Library Services: $240 million ($9M increase)

Thank you for all you have done to engage with your elected officials over the last year, and for sharing your advocacy stories with us! However, the fight to protect funding for the arts does not end with the happy resolution of FY18's budget process. Already, the Trump Administration renewed its proposals to eliminate the NEA, NEH, CPB, and IMLS. The co-chairs of the Congressional Arts Caucus, backed by 166 signatures, sent a letter to House Interior Subcommittee leadership urging at least $155 million for the NEA in FY19, and orchestra advocates can reinforce this message, as well as continue the momentum in support of the arts on any number of policy issues with a quick email or social media message to Congress.

October 6, 2017

Arts education for all

Just as states were readying to meet a September 18 deadline to submit plans to the U.S. Department of Education, the League co-presented a session on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) at the annual convening of the Arts Education Partnership. Together with speakers from the Education Commission of the States and National Association for Music Education, the League described where opportunities for the arts are within implementation of ESSA, two years after passage of the federal education law. Take a look at this and other key arts education topics that are top of mind for arts education stakeholders. Local advocacy is essential as states and school districts refine their approach to a well-rounded education. Learn more about what you can do through the League's ESSA Resource Center.

The U.S. Department of Education has just awarded 20 new grants in the FY17 Professional Development for Arts Educators (PDAE) program competition, one of two programs that identify and support models of how arts education can improve teaching, learning, and the school environment. Descriptions of the new awards, as well past recipients, can be found online.

July 20, 2017

Education funding moves forward

In other Congressional action, the U.S. House Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved its subcommittee recommendation for FY18 funding, which includes funding for the U.S. Department of Education. The proposed funding once again zeroes out the $27 million currently allocated to the Assistance for Arts Education program, so advocates will continue to look to the Senate to restore the funding. The House bill funds the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants­ (SSAEG) at $500 million. SSAEG is a new program created by the Every Student Succeeds Act, and while the recommended allocation represents a $100 million increase from FY17 funding, it is far below the authorized amount of $1.65 billion. The subcommittee also recommended cuts to afterschool funding, allotting funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers at $1 billion--a reduction of $191 million below its current FY2017 level. Each of these areas offers opportunities for in-school and out-of-school programs to leverage the arts as a learning opportunity for all students. Please visit the League's music education action center to learn more and to contact Congress.

A prime opportunity to speak up about the importance of arts education is National Arts in Education Week, which takes place September 10 through 16, 2017. The League encourages orchestras to queue up testimonials, photos, and videos demonstrating support for in-school music education - share these with audiences, friends, and elected officials. For stories shared via social media, be sure to include #artsed or #artsedweek and tag the League so we can promote your posts and help spread the word about the importance of arts education for all students.

May 24, 2017

President hands Congress FY18 budget proposal with steep arts cuts

As predicted in his FY18 budget outline earlier this year, the President's full budget proposal released yesterday calls for closing down the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), along with deep cuts to in-school and afterschool funding and State Department cultural exchange programs. The budget also proposes zeroing out the $27 million arts in education program and the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant--a block grant created with bipartisan support under the Every Student Succeeds Act--at the U.S. Department of Education. Overall, the budget proposes a $54 billion cut in non-defense discretionary spending, and an increase of the same amount in non-discretionary defense spending. The budget also reiterates the Trump Administration's outline of tax reform proposals, which would affect charitable giving.

Like with all presidential budgets, this proposal is just one step in the process of funding the federal government. Action by Congress will, as always, determine the future funding levels for the NEA, other cultural agencies, and a host of programs and agencies that provide valuable services to the public. Coordinated advocacy by stakeholders in communities across the country can and will make a difference in ensuring continued support.

May 5, 2017

Good news on arts funding as next round of budget debates begins

Congress voted this week to provide a $2 million increase each for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in the FY17 funding bill that was left unfinished from last year and was signed by the President today. The catch-all funding package also included full support for the arts education program at the U.S. Department of Education, and initial funds to support new well-rounded education grants to schools. This latest evidence of strong bipartisan support on the Hill for the cultural agencies is promising as Congress shifts its attention to the FY18 budget debates and shapes its response to the Trump Administration's proposal to eliminate funding for the NEA and NEH. Orchestras are meeting with policy leaders and making their voices heard in partnership with the broader arts community in support of federal funding for the arts and arts education.

Gaps persist in latest arts education report card

The U.S. Department of Education released a report on April 25 detailing how much eighth-grade students know and are able to do in music and the visual arts. The Nation's Report Card: 2016 Arts charts some gains in student scores, but also reveals ongoing barriers to student achievement in the arts, with significant racial/ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic gaps. Comparing results to the prior Arts Report Card, lower percentages of students reported engaging in some music or visual arts activities outside of school in 2016 than in 2008. To help you make the most of this important conversation about the status of arts education, the League led an effort with other national arts and education groups to help create the Arts Education Partnership's toolkit, Maximizing the Nation's Arts Report Card. The toolkit includes links to the report, an FAQ, and suggested actions you can take to follow up on the results.

May 1, 2017

New opportunities for arts education

The U.S. Department of Education's Assistance for Arts Education program would receive level funding at $27 million, supporting a new grant competition that is currently open. New support would also be available through $400 million in funding for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, a new program created by the Every Student Succeeds Act that would support the arts and other subjects essential for a well-rounded education. Advocates will be seeking to grow that new fund substantially in FY18.This bill is scheduled for votes in the House and Senate later this week. Once funding for the current fiscal year is settled, Congress will swiftly turn its attention to FY18 funding priorities, and shape its response to the Trump Administration's proposal to eliminate funding for the NEA and NEH.

Thank you! Your ongoing advocacy can help ensure that these very important gains made in the FY17 bill will continue into next year's funding process. Orchestras have been meeting with policy leaders and making their voices heard in partnership with the broader arts community. The League will keep you up to date on further developments so you can keep this momentum going and continue to weigh in to support federal funding for the arts and arts education.

March 31, 2017

Arts education grants opportunity at U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education's Assistance for Arts Education Program is inviting applications for new FY17 awards for Professional Development for Arts Educators (PDAE). The deadline to submit a notice of intent to apply (recommended but not required) is April 27, 2017, with an official application deadline of May 30, 2017. The PDAE program is a highly competitive program that will support 20 to 25 new awards for professional development programs for kindergarten through grade 12 arts educators and other instructional staff for students in K-12 in which 50 percent or more of the students are from low-income families. For complete information, please view the PDAE grant guidelines online. Ultimate funding for grant awards is contingent on Congress finalizing as-yet-unfinished FY17 spending levels across the federal government. You can weigh in with Congress to ask for continued support for this program through the League's Arts Education Funding policy campaign.

February 17, 2017

States Move Ahead to Implement New Education Law

Arts Education: On February 10, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos issued a letter to all state education leaders encouraging continued progress on state plans for implementing the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which are due to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education this spring and fall. ESSA was crafted with bipartisan support in 2015 and includes new provisions to support a well-rounded education while also handing more flexibility to the states for implementation. The League is asking Congress to fully fund the arts education and well-rounded provisions of the new law, while orchestras engage at the state and local level to call for more equitable access to a complete arts education as states shape their ESSA implementation plans.

December 16, 2016

Twice as many NEA and arts education decisions ahead for new Congress

When the new Congress takes office in January it will have two years of funding decisions simultaneously on its plate, as both FY17 and FY18 funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and federal arts education spending will be in play. Last week, the President signed into law a bill that temporarily funds the federal government through April 28, 2017 for the current spending year. While this action averted a government shutdown, all federal agencies are left waiting for a final resolution on their FY17 spending levels, and Congress will also need to start the FY18 budget process. As this week's latest announcement of NEA grants to orchestras shows, federal leadership in support of the arts makes an impact across the country. The League will keep you informed as the funding process moves ahead. In the meantime, view a new video showcasing the impact of the National Endowment for the Arts across its 50 years of work.

October 24, 2016

Are the arts in your state's education reform plans?

The U.S. Department of Education has just issued guidance to states as they consider how to focus a new grant program that was created with passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants are meant to be one of many strategies for states and local schools to use to improve access to a well-rounded education for all students. U.S. Secretary of Education John King has said, "A wide range of possible subjects in school, powerfully and creatively taught, can be exactly what it takes to make the difference between disengagement and a lifelong passion for learning." What can your orchestra do to make sure equitable access to the arts is part of the education reform conversation as ESSA implementation continues? Check out the latest issue of the League's Symphony Magazine for the article, "Music Education for All Students," and visit the League's ESSA Resource Center, where we continue to add up to date details on how to get involved.

September 21, 2016

Music education: keep celebrating!

Thanks to all the orchestras who celebrated National Arts in Education Week! From September 11 - 17, social media was filled with wonderful stories and pictures about the impact of arts education on children and adults. As orchestras kick off the season and welcome students in this new school year, please keep the stories coming and feel free to use #artsed at any time, especially since October is National Arts and Humanities Month. Make the most of every opportunity to promote the need for more equitable access to arts education! Also, the start of a new school year is a great reminder that states are beginning to make plans to implement the new federal law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Advocacy at the local level is critically important! To stay up to date on the law and opportunities for the arts, bookmark the League's ESSA Resource Center.

September 5, 2016

Celebrate National Arts in Education Week!

Next week is National Arts in Education Week, September 11-17, 2016! Here are some suggestions for how orchestras and their supporters can be involved:

Your Orchestra: is there a great arts education program your orchestra is involved with in schools or in partnership with schools? Maybe you have several! Between September 11-17, post your stories, videos, and photos on social media with the hashtags #artsed and #ArtsEdWeek. It’s a great way to remind your communities that your orchestra is involved with arts education. And if you remember to tag the League of American Orchestras (@OrchLeague on Twitter), we’ll be re-posting and re-Tweeting selected stories throughout the week.

You, Your Friends, and Your Orchestra Family: Invite people from all over and from all walks of life to participate in the week-long celebration of arts education. What better way to do this than to share how arts education has left a lasting impression or impact – big or small – on your life? Maybe an early arts education experience has somehow led to or connects with what you do professionally today, or it has carried over to your personal life into a tradition you share with family or friends. Post your artsed story using #artsed #ArtsEdWeek and help us show that the reach of arts education is as great as the need for it.

Looking for more resources? Remember the League maintains a whole host of Music Education information online, including talking points, advocacy tools, and the latest news on how the new education law will impact schools and students.

July 8, 2016

Federal funding: your summer homework with elected officials

Given that this is an election year, the House and Senate are taking a long summer recess, which makes the prospects uncertain for the federal budget to be completed. Bills that are of importance to the orchestra community are on the move, and here is the latest on where things stand for:

Arts Education: One new area of funding under the Every Student Succeeds Act is for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant program, which will support learning in "well-rounded subjects" including the arts. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved just $300 million for this program, which falls far short of the already paltry $500 million requested by the Administration. House Appropriators have approved $1 billion. Meanwhile the Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) program received a Senate Appropriations recommendation for level funding of $27 million while the House has not advanced funding for the program

Take action for music education

The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) marks an important, new opportunity to ensure that every student has access to arts and music education. Now, even more of the decisions about how the arts are supported in education will be made at the state and local levels. As civic-minded community-based organizations, America's adult and youth orchestras work every day - through their programs, partnerships, and policy engagement - to increase access to music education in our nation's schools and communities. The League has prepared an ESSA Resource Center with links that provide an overview of the new law, public statements to elected officials that urge full funding and support, resources to equip arts advocates at the state and local level, and next steps for orchestras to take action.

June 6, 2016

Take Action to Support Music Education. Write to Your Senator!

You are receiving this alert because your orchestra is located in the state of a Senator who will be considering funding levels for the U.S. Department of Education this week! On Thursday, June 9, the Senate Appropriations Committee will consider the first funding bill to implement the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act.

We are asking Senators to take the following actions to help close huge disparities in access to music education in our nation's schools as they consider funding levels in the FY17 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill:

January 15, 2016

Arts Education sees funding increase for FY16

Before adjourning for the winter holiday, Congress approved a $2 million funding increase for the Arts in Education Program at the U.S. Department of Education. For the Arts in Education Program, the increase will provide new resources for competitive grants, such as model initiatives and partnerships that significantly impact students and educators. We will keep you informed as further grant opportunities become available.

January 11, 2016

League urges US Dept of Ed to support arts in high-poverty schools

At a public meeting at U.S. Department of Education headquarters, the League of American Orchestras delivered comments today urging the Department to take steps to close gaps in access to music and arts education in high-poverty schools as it administers the Every Student Succeeds Act. Alongside representatives from a wide array of national education organizations, including the Council of Chief State School Officers, Dignity in Schools Campaign, National Council of La Raza, and the National Education Association, the League spoke to top administrators and a public audience nationwide as the Department takes its first steps toward framing guidance for state and local education policy makers under the new law. The League’s statement emphasizes that community-based organizations like orchestras partner with parents, educators, and school systems to seek improved opportunities for all students to receive the full benefits of an arts education, and urges the Department to issue guidance that will identify and address serious gaps in access to arts education in our nation’s highest poverty schools. The Department is accepting public comments through January 21, 2016 regarding implementation of Title I, the portion of the education law “designed to help disadvantage children meet high academic standards.” The League will keep you posted and engaged on further opportunities to support music and arts education as new education policies are made in your community and state, and at the federal level.

December 16, 2015

Early this morning, Congress released the details of an FY16 funding agreement, and an accompanying package of tax provisions that include support for three key policy requests advanced by orchestras and the broader arts and nonprofit community.

The IRA Charitable Rollover provision would be reinstated and made permanent. This would end the on-again, off-again cycle of expiration of this provision, and result in significant increases in charitable contributions to orchestras and the full array of nonprofit organizations.

Funding for the National Endowment for Arts would grow by $2 million - the first funding increase since cuts to the NEA budget in FY12.

Funding for the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education would increase by $2 million, providing new resources for competitive grants.

Orchestras have tirelessly advocated - in partnership with other arts organizations and nonprofits - for the support of these key provisions, asking Congress to #Act4Good to make charitable giving incentives permanent, and for restoration of federal funding for the arts and arts education.

We're not done just yet. The House and Senate still must take final action on these provisions, likely by the end of this week. The League will inform orchestras as soon as the status of IRA Rollover provision is officially confirmed. Thank you!

December 10, 2015

President signs new education law – new opportunities to increase arts education access!

Today marks a new era of opportunity to ensure that every child has access to arts and music education. We know that the highest poverty schools currently have the least access to music education, denying many students all of the advantages that a complete music education can provide. Orchestras work every day - through their programs, partnerships, and policy engagement - to increase access to music education in our nation's schools and communities.

The new education law - the Every Student Succeeds Act - signed by President Obama today reverses many of the policies of the No Child Left Behind Act that narrowed the curriculum, firmly establishes that every child deserves access to a well-rounded education, and declares that federal education dollars may be used by states and local school systems to provide increased access to music and arts education.

Congratulations to all of the orchestra advocates who weighed in with their elected officials to ensure that music and arts education are supported in the new law. Standing together, and working side-by-side with our partners representing parents, principals, teachers, and administrators in the broader education community, our collective efforts have resulted in a new federal law that opens opportunities for more supportive state and local arts education policies.

The League provides a preliminary outline of the new education law, and will develop new resources to help orchestras understand implementation, and be the most effective advocates at the state and local levels. In the meantime, thank you, for engaging in the policy process!

December 1, 2015

Key Arts Provisions in Education Bill: Final Vote Ahead!

A new education law, 14 years in the making - called the Every Student Succeeds Act - was unveiled yesterday and is expected to face final votes in the House and Senate before the year ends. On the long road to re-writing what is currently known as the No Child Left Behind Act, orchestras have made contact thousands of times with Congress, in partnership with arts advocates nationwide, calling on policymakers to close gaps in access to arts education in our nation's public schools. Here are some early key highlights of the bill, which would be in effect for Fiscal Years 2017-2020:

Arts education advocacy at the state and local level will be more important than ever. The overall approach of the bill shrinks the federal role in education reform and hands more decision-making to the states.

The arts and music are included in a definition of a "well-rounded education" - a term that has replaced the current definition of "core academic subjects," which had included the "arts." The well-rounded education definition broadens the list of subjects and appears in provisions related to afterschool and expanded learning time, English language learners, literacy, and more. This means that advocates can encourage local and state education policymakers to use their federal funds in these areas to support arts and music education.

"WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION.-The term 'well-rounded education' means courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, and any other subject, as determined by the State or local educational agency, with the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience.''

Title I funds may be used for arts and music education, along with other subjects listed in the definition of a well-rounded education. States have increased discretion on the use of Title I funds, which are the largest pool of federal resources dedicated to ensuring equitable access to a complete education for all students.

The programs supported by the current Arts in Education fund are retained as a newly named "Assistance for Arts Education" fund. This is a significant win as many other small programs of this kind were eliminated in the new bill. The Arts Education fund includes national competitive grants to support partnerships among schools and community-based organizations.

Arts and music education are specified as eligible uses for new, state-administered "Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants." Local education agencies will apply to states for the funds and are asked to consult with community-based organizations and other public stakeholders when preparing their applications. Integrating the arts into STEM learning programs is also a specified area of eligibility for the new grants.

21st Century Community Learning Center funding is maintained, and arts and music education are specified as eligible for support under "expanded learning time" provisions. Afterschool, out of school, and summer learning programs are key areas in which arts organizations partner with schools to support student learning in the arts.

Accountability requirements are more flexible. While tests in reading and math are still required under the new bill, states are given flexibility in incorporating other measures of student success - such as student engagement - into their accountability plans and are encouraged to use portfolio- and project-based assessment when measuring student learning, which may open the door to increased support of arts education strategies.

The bill is expected to undergo a vote in the House very soon, and in the Senate before year's end. Thank you for the many, many efforts you have made to ensure that arts education is supported in the nation's new education law.

The League plays a leading role in advocating in Washington, D.C. on these issues. We will continue to keep you informed on next steps, and will provide a more detailed analysis of the bill's impact on arts learning opportunities. With more responsibility for education policy shifting to the states, consider how you can take action now to close the gaps in access to arts education in your local schools and communities.

October 8, 2015

Federal Government Averts Shutdown: Appropriations Still Unfinished

Mere hours before federal funding was set to expire last week, Congress passed a stopgap bill to fund the government through December 11, 2015. Under these continuing resolutions (CR), most agencies enter a new fiscal year operating under the previous year's spending priorities. The Interior bill, which funds the National Endowment for the Arts, was making rapid progress in both chambers until heated debates in the House over policies unrelated to the NEA sidelined further progress. Similarly, neither the House nor the Senate were able to advance an education spending bill to the floor for a full vote, which leaves the status of the currently $25 million-funded Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education unresolved once again. As Congress continues to debate overall spending limits and priorities, the League will keep you posted on important opportunities to weigh in.

Education Act Re-Write Awaits Action

The 14-year wait for Congress to re-write the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has grown longer as changes in leadership of the House of Representatives slows progress on a number of legislative issues. The League coordinated a September 15 letter from national arts and education organizations to House and Senate Chairs and Ranking Members of the committees responsible for next steps on ESEA, calling specifically for support for the Arts in Education programs. After each chamber passed their respective ESEA bills, the next step is for a committee of conferees to work together on a compromise bill to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions. While the timing of further action is uncertain, advocates have plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about the progress arts education has made. As always, the most immediate action on arts education policy happens at the state and local level. See the League's resources to help orchestras be active partners in these efforts.

July 22, 2015

While U.S. Senate Passes Education Bill, Policies are Made in Your Home Town

On July 16, the Senate passed a bipartisan education reform bill that would replace the No Child Left Behind Act with the Every Child Achieves Act, a federal education bill that names the arts and music as core academic subjects of learning, preserves 21st Century Learning Centers afterschool funding, and provides support for Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Department of Education -- three of the key policy requests made in hundreds of messages from orchestras to Senators during the drafting process and debate on the latest version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Early this month, the House passed its education reform package, the Student Success Act. The House bill omits any definition of core academic subjects, and eliminates current afterschool and Arts in Education programs, in favor of flexible grants to states and districts.

Next up, both chambers will need to designate Senators and Representatives charged with meeting in the middle to iron out a single bill that could win support from the House, Senate, and the White House. At issue will be major differences in each chamber's approach to state flexibility for the use of federal funds, and state accountability for students' progress. A proposal to require states to create publicly accessible "dashboards" was endorsed by orchestras and other arts advocates, but was defeated on the Senate floor amid broader disagreements on how to approach transparency on educational progress in a post-No Child Left Behind era.

What can your orchestra do to support music education in the schools as the national education reform debate continues? Advocate for music education in your community and at the state level. While federal education law provides broader structural pressures and incentives for public education policy, the vast majority of the decisions about how to close gaps in equitable access to arts education for our nation's students are -- and will continue to be -- made in your own back yard. Check out the League's music education advocacy tools, and stay engaged as the education reform process continues!

July 10, 2015

As Education Debate Continues, Music Advocates Weigh In

Orchestras are speaking up as both the House and Senate re-write the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind. At the center of debate is the fundamental question of how far the federal government should go in requiring state accountability for equitable access to a complete education. The House has passed its bill, which has earned a White House veto promise given HR 5's dramatic reduction in the federal footprint on education policy. The House bill also omits a definition of core academic subjects, and would eliminate the Arts in Education program, along with 60 other programs of the U.S. Department of Education. As the Senate continues debate on its bill, orchestras are joining other arts advocates in requesting support for the arts as a core academic subject of learning, and asking for approval of an amendment that would encourage states to develop public "dashboards" that offer transparency on disparities in student access to arts education and other core subjects of learning.

July 2, 2015

Senate Takes Up Education Policy Next Week, Followed by House

Beginning as early as Tuesday, July 7, the U.S. Senate will begin debating the Every Child Achieves Act, a bipartisan attempt at re-writing our nation's education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This is the first major Senate floor action on this topic since 2001. The U.S. House of Representatives plans to take up their bill, the Student Success Act, later in the week.

Please take a moment to weigh in as your Senators and Representative prepare for what will likely be a lengthy debate and amendment process. Every communication counts, and helps amplify our collective voice!

Orchestras delivered more than 400 messages to the Senate in support of music education as an earlier version of the Senate bill made its way through committee. The latest version of the Senate bill, crafted by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), preserves the arts as a core academic subject of learning, maintains support for after-school learning programs, and provides for activities currently administered through the U.S. Department of Education’s Arts in Education grant program.

The House bill omits any definition of core academic subjects, and eliminates current afterschool and Arts in Education programs, in favor of flexible grants to states and districts.

As the Senate and House both consider competing points of view on how the federal government should influence education reform, we are asking Congress to do more to lead states and local schools to be publicly transparent about gaps in access to arts education, and to take steps to close those gaps.

After all, to transition the arts from being merely listed as a core academic subject to being fully implemented in every school, there must be public accountability for disparities in student access to the benefits of a complete arts education.

Your members of Congress are in their home states for the 4th of July break. Contact them now and stay tuned as we keep you informed of key developments in the Senate and the House. Thank you!

May 1, 2015

Senate Committee Passes Education Bill

At the end of April, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions passed the Every Child Achieves Act (S.1177), a bipartisan bill which would reauthorize the nation’s federal education law for the first time since 2001. Three key policy changes requested in more than 400 communications to the Senate from orchestras were addressed during full Committee consideration. A definition of core academic subjects was added to the bill, including “arts” and “music.” The bill also supports the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, and provides an authorization for activities currently funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Arts in Education program. The next step is for this bill to go to the Senate floor. Despite the Committee’s unanimous approval of the bill, full consideration by the Senate will involve debate over many amendments.

In the meantime, there has been no movement on the House’s version of the education bill, the Student Success Act (H.R. 5) since February, when a scheduled vote failed to take place due to sufficient support of the bill. New amendments may be offered, which could revive consideration of the House bill.

April 10, 2015

Beginning on April 14, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is scheduled to consider The Every Child Achieves Act, a bipartisan attempt at re-writing our nation's education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

We are contacting you because you are a constituent of a Senator who serves on this key Senate Committee, and your elected official will be voting on a large number of amendments expected to be offered during Committee consideration. Orchestras delivered more than 400 messages to the Senate on an earlier version of the bill. Please take a moment to weigh in once more! Every communication counts and helps amplify our collective voice!

The new version of the Senate bill preserves the arts as a core academic subject of learning, but does not include specific support for after-school learning programs, nor for the Arts in Education grant program. And, as the committee considers competing points of view on the appropriate approach to state accountability, we are urging more public transparency by states about the availability of arts education in schools.

After all, to transition the arts from being merely listed as a core academic subject to being fully implementedin every school, states must be publicly accountable for disparities in student access to the benefits of a complete arts education.

Please join your fellow arts advocates in reinforcing the following four points in a message to your Senator:

The arts are currently listed as a core academic subject in federal law. Any rewrite of ESEA must retain the arts in the definition of "core academic subjects," enabling access to critical federal resources that address inequalities and strengthen education.

Federal law should require transparency in how much or how little arts education is being offered to our nation's students. Collecting and publicly reporting the status and condition of arts education and other core academic subjects on an annual basis at the state level is critical to ensuring equitable access to a comprehensive education for all students.

Arts education must be supported in provisions relating to early childhood education, afterschool/out-of-school learning, teaching effectiveness, school turnaround, charter schools, and student assessment.

The U.S. Department of Education should continue to administer a direct, nationally funded competitive Arts in Education grant program that advances the capacity of the arts to strengthen learning and improve teaching.

March 18, 2015

Speak Up for Music Education

Hundreds of orchestra advocates across the U.S. have weighed in with Congress, asking policy leaders to address extreme inequities in access to arts education in our nation's schools. The Senate is drafting a fresh proposal to re-write the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and the House has suspended consideration of its bill - HR 5 - amid disagreements within House majority members about how to shape the federal government's role in public education. This means the next few months present a great opportunity to make your voice heard as lawmakers consider big questions, like: How do we define core subjects of learning? What is the future of funding for afterschool and out of school learning time? What expectations should be set for states to publicly account for student access to arts education in schools? While the debates continue in D.C., your local schools and states are also making policy decisions that will impact the future of the arts in your community. Visit our Music Education policy center to learn how to stay engaged to support music education at home, and keep those letters coming to Congress!

February 25, 2015

Music Education Advocacy Alert: House Votes on Friday!

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on proposals to rewrite our nation's education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Hundreds of orchestra advocates weighed in on a Senate draft ESEA bill last month, urging support for more equitable access to music education. It's now time to reach out to your member of Congress to deliver these key messages:

The arts are currently listed as a core academic subject in federal law. Any rewrite of ESEA must retain the arts in the definition of "core academic subjects," enabling access to critical federal resources that address inequalities and strengthen education.

Federal law should require transparency in how much or how little arts education is being offered to our nation's students. Collecting and publicly reporting the status and condition of arts education and other core academic subjects on an annual basis at the state level is critical to ensuring equitable access to a comprehensive education for all students.

Arts education must be supported in provisions relating to early childhood education, afterschool/out-of-school learning, teaching effectiveness, school turnaround, charter schools, and student assessment.

The U.S. Department of Education should continue to administer a direct, nationally funded competitive Arts in Education grant program that advances the capacity of the arts to strengthen learning and improve teaching.

The House majority's ESEA proposal (HR 5) recommends broad changes to the federal leadership role in education reform, and an alternative developed by House Democrats is likely to also be considered on the House floor. The vote on each measure is expected to largely take place along party lines. Members of Congress will be paying attention to what matters to their constituents, so a message sent by you today will inform ongoing education reform discussions.

Your message to your elected official will have the most impact if you customize it to include details about the urgent need for improved access to arts education in your community.

The League is partnering with dozens of national arts and arts education organizations in advancing the four key messages above. Please contact your members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Click here to customize and send an email by this Friday, February 27, and urge support for the arts in ESEA reauthorization!

January 29, 2015

Music Education Advocacy Alert: Only Days to Respond!

As the new Congress begins to rewrite our nation's major education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), music education advocates have their first opportunity to deliver four key messages, in unison with the broader arts and arts education community:

The arts are currently listed as a core academic subject in federal law. Any rewrite of ESEA must retain the arts in the definition of "core academic subjects," enabling access to federal resources that address inequalities and strengthen education.

Federal law should require transparency in how much or how little arts education is being offered to our nation's students. Collecting and publicly reporting the status and condition of arts education and other core academic subjects on an annual basis at the state level is critical to ensuring equitable access to a comprehensive education for all students.

Arts education must be supported in provisions relating to early childhood education, afterschool/out-of-school learning, teaching effectiveness, school turnaround, charter schools, and student assessment.

The U.S. Department of Education should continue to administer a direct, nationally funded competitive Arts in Education grant program that advances the capacity of the arts to strengthen learning and improve teaching.

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Committee charged with rewriting this bill, is inviting public comment on a discussion draft he recently released. The full draft proposal addresses many broad areas of education reform, and removes the current list of core academic subjects, terminates the current federal afterschool funding program, fails to require state transparency on the status and conditions of arts education, and eliminates the federal Arts in Education grant program.

The League is partnering with dozens of national arts and arts education organizations in advancing the four key messages above. Please join this first advocacy opportunity in 2015! Click here to customize and send an email before the deadline of Monday, February 2nd, and urge support for the arts in ESEA reauthorization!

December 17, 2014

Arts Education Steady in Final FY15 Spending Deal

Congress settled on a massive FY15 spending package before adjourning for the year. In a $1.1 trillion deal that included gains and losses for a number of federal spending accounts, funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Arts in Education at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) held steady. The bill also included a number of policy provisions, including one related to multiemployer pension plans. Funding of $25 million for the competitive grant programs at the ED will allow multi-year national model projects that improve teaching and learning in the arts.

February 12, 2014

Federal Funding Intact for NEA, Arts Ed

Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and for the Arts in Education program at the U.S.Department of Education survived the roller coaster ride that was the Fiscal Year 2014 appropriations process, navigating drastic proposals to slash and eliminate funding, the government shutdown, and final budget negotiations to ultimately be restored to their pre-sequester funding levels. Last year, 100 orchestras across the country served their communities with support from direct NEA grants, in addition to NEA funding awarded through state arts agencies. The Arts in Education program – the only dedicated form of support for arts learning at the U.S. Department of Education – will continue the important work of funding model learning programs and professional development for arts educators, with new application opportunities to be announced soon. Your ongoing advocacy will be key in the coming year as Congress considers FY15 funding levels.

January 15, 2014

Arts Education Wins Support in Spending Deal

Funding for the Arts in Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education is restored to 2012 levels in a spending package negotiated by House and Senate leaders! Three and a half months after the 2014 fiscal year began, Congress is close to settling on a massive spending bill that includes $25 million to fund national models that improve arts learning in schools.

Support for the arts and creativity has weathered extreme challenges throughout the troubled FY14 funding battles on the Hill. House funding leaders recommended complete elimination of the Arts in Education program. Thanks to your advocacy efforts, and the proven impact of the federal investment in the arts in communities large and small nationwide, the large-scale bundle of spending bills that fund the federal government preserves funding and restores the 5% cut the Arts in Education program suffered under sequestration in FY13.

The League is a leading advocate for federal support for the arts among a broad network of national advocacy partners, and we will keep you posted as the FY14 funding process is finalized in the days ahead. Congress will then immediately turn attention to next year’s spending priorities, and your voice in support of arts education will once again be essential!

January 8, 2014

Arts Education for America’s Students: A Shared Endeavor

The League, in partnership with 12 national arts and education organizations, has released Arts Education for America’s Students, A Shared Endeavor, a statement outlining the importance of high quality arts education and those responsible for providing it to students. A Shared Endeavor articulates the purpose and value of art education in the balanced curriculum of all students, asserts its place as a core academic subject area, and details how sequential arts learning can be supported by rigorous national standards and assessments. The statement, created over a 12-month period by the endorsing organizations, calls on organizations and individuals to actively support and promote:

Long-term advocacy partnership between all providers of arts education.

We encourage you to read this document and its companion diagram that places students at the center of arts education and consider it a tool to help prompt dialogue and engagement with community arts education leaders in a conversation about how students in your community access arts education, beginning with these questions:

Do students have access to arts education in your community’s schools?

How do community-based arts educators, including your orchestra, connect with learning taking place in your community’s schools?

How do teachers connect the learning in their classrooms to learning in the arts? How can you support them in that endeavor?

Where do you have strong supports for arts education at your school? What does your state require your schools to do?

September 4, 2013

Tick-Tock: Fall Countdown on Policy Concerns

With summer coming to a close, Congress is returning to a packed policy agenda, including an array of issues that impact the arts and the nonprofit sector. Thanks to all in the orchestra community who connected with policymakers while they were home for the August recess. There are plenty more advocacy opportunities ahead:

Education: National Arts in Education Week is September 8-14, 2013. In D.C., the League continues to meet with policymakers to urge support for arts education as Congress re-writes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as well as in specific program funding at the U.S. Department of Education. At home, you can make a difference by taking local action and speaking up in support of in-school music education.

July 17, 2013

Full House to Act on Education Policy

As early as this week, the full U.S. House of Representatives will begin debating legislation to re-write the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind. The current education law expired in 2007, and while the highly partisan approach unfolding in both the House and Senate does not bode well for rapid final passage of a new law, upcoming action on the House floor represents the most significant movement to-date on re-writing our nation’s education policy.

The original intention of ESEA is to address equity gaps in education, and the League is an active advocate at the federal level in support of improving access to arts education in our nation’s schools. The League recently sent a message to the Hill in coalition with the Performing Arts Alliance supporting specific provisions in Rep. George Miller’s (D-CA) ESEA proposal that would improve federal resources for arts education and incentivize states and localities to do more to support arts learning. As the House prepares for floor debate, we will keep you informed of targeted advocacy opportunities. In the meantime, your orchestra can weigh in using our ongoing e-advocacy campaign to speak up in support of arts policy in ESEA.

Arts in Education Funding Advances in the Senate

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee moved forward a recommendation for $27 million in FY14 funding for the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education. Ongoing leadership by education appropriations subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and other Senate supporters has preserved Arts in Education funding over the past several years, despite the program’s elimination in the House and Obama Administration’s budget plans. The U.S. Department of Education will soon announce a new round of multi-year grant awards made possible through Arts in Education funds. Visit our e-advocacy campaign to weigh in with Congress in support of Arts in Education funding.

Take Action in Your Community!

The most effective music education advocacy takes place at the local level, where the majority of education policy is made. The League provides numerous music education advocacy tools, including tips for orchestras, highlights from the most recent research, and news about national coalition efforts. Read our latest call for local action “Enough is Not Enough” and join the growing ranks of orchestras committed to taking action to support arts education in local schools.

April 12, 2013

Arts Ed Down in White House Budget

Arts in Education Funding: For the fifth consecutive year, the President’s budget proposes consolidating the Arts in Education program into a new, broader funding pool titled “Effecting Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education.” This program seeks to combine support for “the arts, health education, foreign languages, civics and government, history, geography, environmental education, economics and financial literacy, and other subjects,” eliminating direct competition and federal leadership for each subject independently. With each year, the proposed total funding for the consolidated “Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education” program has decreased and the FY14 request from the White House is a mere $75 million to be shared by all of the subjects. In prior years, the proposal has not been adopted on the Hill, and in spite of the elimination of many other programs, Congress has protected the Arts in Education fund as a distinct program at nearly $25 million. Orchestras are asking Congress to provide $30 million to support the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education.

Early Childhood Education and the Arts

Everyone is talking about Pre-K, which received special attention in the President's State of the Union Address in February as he previewed a new Preschool for All initiative. There's an important role for the arts in early childhood development. Check out next week's webinar with the NEA Interagency Task Force on the Arts & Human Development. The free webinar will be held at 2pm EDT on Wednesday, April 17th. Interested participants can register online or check back at several days later for the archive.

March 12, 2013

Sequestration and the Arts

What do the messy debates in Washington over spending limits and across-the-board 5% cuts to domestic spending mean for your orchestra?

If your orchestra partners with public schools, be aware that the cut to domestic spending will impact the federal resources that flow to support public education programs and can also impact direct funding of the Arts in Education program of the U.S. Department of Education. Strengthen your orchestra’s local, community-based advocacy efforts to seek greater access to arts education in public schools.

July 9, 2012

Bracing for NEA and Arts Ed Funding Outcomes

The upcoming elections and debates over automatic spending cuts have thrown the federal funding process into a tailspin. While certain steps of the budget process have begun, ongoing advocacy to protect arts resources from cuts will likely be needed through November and beyond.

Arts education funding took a positive step forward in mid-June when the Senate Appropriations committee approved an FY13 bill including $26.5 million for the U.S. Department of Education’s Arts in Education program, an increase of $1.5 million from last year’s allocation. This level of funding would allow the U.S. Department of Education to continue funding multi-year arts education grants that are in progress.

The League has played a national leadership role in creating a new toolkit on Arts Access in U.S. Schools to support your local in-school music education advocacy efforts. This past April, the U.S. Department of Education released the first national snapshot on the status of arts education in ten years - the Fast Response Statistical Survey's (FRSS) Report on Arts Education, which indicated clear equity gaps in student access to a quality arts education in all arts disciplines. While the report does not provide a complete picture of the status of arts education, it includes helpful information that should prompt advocacy for arts education programs across the country as schools struggle in the wake of the recession and high-stakes accountability demands for reading and math outcomes.

The report shows that schools with a higher concentration of students in poverty were less likely to offer music education and, among elementary schools offering music education, the presence of music specialists declines as the school's poverty rate increases. To help orchestras and the broader arts community understand and communicate about the national results, the League partnered with other national organizations to create a toolkit, which should help you leverage the results to advance a policy conversation about the status of arts education in your local schools. As always, music education advocates can find a host of additional resources within the League's music education advocacy tools to learn what steps you can take at the local level to advance the status of arts education in public schools.

April 2, 2012

Arts Education Status Report Released: Equity Gaps Remain

This morning, the U.S. Department of Education released the long-awaited results of the Fast Response Statistical Survey’s (FRSS) Report on Arts Education, based on data gathered in the 2009-2010 school year. The arts education community – and the League in particular – has long called for federal data collection to be more comprehensive in scope and depth and that data be collected more frequently. While the FRSS report does not provide a complete picture of the status of arts education, it does provide some valuable new information and an opportunity to provoke a public conversation about arts education. A few key findings:

More than 90% of our nation’s public elementary and secondary schools offer some form of music instruction. At the elementary level, that includes a majority of students receiving music instruction at least once a week by a certified art or music teacher. This is a strong testament to effective advocacy for arts education programs across the country during the onset of the recession and in the wake of reading and math accountability demands on public schools.

Although music is widely available in some form, six percent of the nation’s public elementary schools offer no specific instruction in music, nine percent of public secondary schools reported that they did not offer music, and only 15 percent of elementary schools offered music instruction at least three times per week.

It is clear that there are critical equity gaps in student access to a quality arts education in all arts disciplines. These gaps must be addressed if students are to have access to a complete education. The FRSS report shows that the percentage of schools offering music education declines as the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch increases. In other words, schools with a higher concentration of students in poverty were less likely to offer music education. Likewise, among elementary schools offering music education, the presence of music specialists declines as the school’s poverty rate increases. This is sobering news, just as a separate new report from the National Endowment for the Arts underscores the significant academic, workforce, and civic engagement gains associated with high levels of arts exposure for youth of lower socioeconomic status.

The League has been working with its national partners to create a toolkit to help orchestras and the broader arts community understand and communicate about the Snapshot FRSS results and will make these tools available online soon. In the meantime, find the full report online and view the League's music education advocacy tools to learn what kind of steps you can take at the local level to advance the status of arts education in public schools.

February 14, 2012

The Year Ahead and the President’s New Budget Proposal

Yesterday the President announced his newest budget plan, which seeks to meet the mandate of deficit reduction through a combination of strategic revenue measures and funding allocations. Below are the highlights of the tax and spending policies that impact orchestras and the broader arts and nonprofit communities. While the many distractions of the election cycle will slow - if not altogether thwart – progress on major budget decisions and tax reform, the President’s budget request sets the tone for the Congressional action to come.

Arts in Education Funding : The President’s budget again proposes consolidating the Arts in Education program into a new, broader funding pool entitled “Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded Education.” Communities representing a wide array of subjects of learning that would be consolidated are in opposition to the proposal, as it would diminish direct competition and federal leadership for each of these essential subjects of learning. Congress has protected Arts in Education funding, despite eliminating many other programs over the past two years. Orchestras are asking Congress to provide $30 million to support the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education.Your Advocacy is Essential

As the coming months unfold, Congress will take action on numerous policies impacting orchestras – your advocacy will be essential! Whether it’s wireless microphone policies, artist visa issues, or major tax and spending decisions, the League has prepared advocacy materials to make it easy for you to make your voice heard, in partnership with the extended arts and nonprofit communities. Please visit our advocacy center and weigh in on the full range of policy issues that impact your orchestra. Now is the time to develop a dialogue with your members of Congress. As always, we will keep you posted about key policy developments.

December 28, 2011

President Signs FY12 Funding Bill

Arts in Education Also experiencing a tumultuous appropriations cycle, the Arts in Education program has weathered significant challenges, and is one of very few programs to survive multiple proposals to eliminate subject-specific funding programs at the U.S. Department of Education. The Arts in Education program ultimately received $24.593 million in FY12 to administer and support competitive grants and national initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education, a decrease from the $27.447 million administered by the Department in FY11. FY12 funding may offer the possibility of a new round of grant competitions in the Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program, but details remain to be seen. The League will keep you updated as more information and possible grant opportunities become available.

Thank you for your ongoing advocacy in support of the arts. The extremely challenging federal budget climate will continue into 2012, and your communication with Congress will be essential. Please continue to stay tuned to League advocacy updates and alerts!

June 14, 2011

Tell Your Representative to Support Arts in Education!

Contact Congress and ask your Representative to protect Arts in Education when the House considers HR 1891, a bill that would eliminate the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education, along with 42 other federal education programs. In the coming weeks, the U.S. House of Representatives will take up a first attempt at re-writing part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act. Speak up in defense of the Arts in Education program! The lead sponsor of HR 1891, Education Subcommittee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), has called the Arts in Education program “unnecessary.” This bill, which the House Education and Workforce Committee passed along party lines on May 25th, is even more serious a threat than the annual federal funding measures, as HR 1891 would permanently strip the language out of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that allows the Arts in Education program to be funded each year.

The Arts in Education (AIE) program at the U.S. Department of Education is the ONLY source of dedicated federal education funding to support arts education, a core academic subject of learning proven to improve schools, teaching, and student success in school, work, and life. The unique federal leadership provided through direct competitive AIE grants and national initiatives cannot be replaced by any other funding source and provides essential resources to maximize the benefits of arts education for all students. The arts have too often been shoved to the margins when our schools need them most. Don’t let HR 1891 further narrow the educational opportunities of our nation’s students.

Act now, and stay tuned as the League keeps you informed of further arts education policy developments.

May 23, 2011

Act Now to Support Arts Education!

This Wednesday May 25, the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee will vote on a bill (HR 1891) that would eliminate the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education, along with 42 other federal education programs. The lead sponsor of the bill, Education Subcommittee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), calls the Arts in Education program “unnecessary.” This bill is even more serious a threat than the annual federal funding measures, as HR 1891 would permanently strip the language out of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that allows the Arts in Education program to be funded each year.

The Arts in Education (AIE) program at the U.S. Department of Education is the ONLY source of dedicated federal education funding to support arts education, a core academic subject of learning proven to improve schools, teaching, and student success in school, work, and life. The unique federal leadership provided through direct competitive AIE grants and national initiatives cannot be replaced by any other funding source and provides essential resources to maximize the benefits of arts education for all students. The arts have too often been shoved to the margins when our schools need them most. Don’t let HR 1891 further narrow the educational opportunities of our nation’s students.

A targeted advocacy alert was sent to constituents of the following Members of the House Education and Workforce Committee:

John Kline, Chair (R-MN-2)

Tom Petri (R-WI-6)

Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA-25)

Judy Biggert (R-IL-13)

Todd Platts (R-PA-19)

Joe Wilson (R-SC-02)

Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05)

Duncan Hunter (R-CA-52)

Phil Roe (R-TN-01)

Glenn Thompson (R-PA-05)

Tim Walberg (R-MI-07)

Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04)

Richard Hanna (R-NY-24)

Todd Rokita (R-IN-04)

Larry Bucshon (R-IN-08)

Trey Gowdy (R-SC-4)

Lou Barletta (R-PA-11)

Kristi Noem (R-SD-At large)

Martha Roby (R-AL-2)

Joe Heck (R-NV-03)

Dennis Ross (R-FL-12)

Mike Kelly (R-PA-3)

George Miller, Ranking Member (D-CA-7)

Dale Kildee (D-MI-5)

Donald Payne (D-NJ-10)

Robert Andrews (D-NJ-01)

Bobby Scott (D-VA-03)

Lynn Woolsey (D-CA-06)

Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX-15)

Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY-04)

John Tierney (D-MA-06)

Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-10)

David Wu (D-OR-01)

Rush Holt (D-NJ-12)

Susan Davis (D-CA-53)

Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07)

Timothy Bishop (D-NY-01)

Dave Loebsack (D-IA-02)

Mazie Hirono (D-HI-02)

April 12, 2011

The FY11 Budget Deal: What Does it Mean for the Arts?

At the eleventh hour last Friday, Congressional leaders struck an FY11 budget compromise to avoid a government shutdown, which includes $155 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and $25.5 million for the Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Department of Education. The agreement finalizes the rest of FY11 funding, and votes will take place in the House tomorrow, with Senate action to follow before week's end.

Thanks to your advocacy, Congress has restored a portion of the Arts in Education funding and protected the NEA from more drastic cuts.

Arts in Education: On March 2, 2011 both the House and Senate agreed to eliminate a number of small education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, including the complete defunding of the Arts in Education program, a $40 million fund that supports competitive grants and national initiatives. The final funding bill includes $25.5 million for the Arts in Education fund - enough to continue the next year of funding for multi-year grants currently in progress, with $10 million available for additional arts education expenditures.

In a climate of historic budget slashing, the partial restoration of Arts in Education funding is a true victory, thanks in large part to the leadership of Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) and the efforts of grassroots advocates who quickly mobilized to tell their stories about the value of arts education.

Please stay tuned! As soon as the final FY11 spending levels are passed, our attention must turn to building support for arts funding in the FY12 budget process.

March 2, 2011

Tell Congress that eliminating arts education is a budget cut we simply can't afford. Arts in Education funds at the U.S. Department of Education were eliminated today when Congress passed a short-term spending bill that will keep the federal government open as final negotiations over all FY11 funding continue. The cuts in the short-term spending bill would eliminate Arts in Education funding for the entire 2011 fiscal year if Congress does not restore the fund in future FY11 bills. Today's short-term funding package omitted a number of smaller education programs - part of a "down payment" on further overall federal funding cuts to come.

It's not too late to rescue FY11 funding for Arts in Education and the National Endowment for the Arts! Your advocacy is essential as the House and Senate now use the next two weeks to continue setting their priorities for funding the federal government for the remainder of the current fiscal year. Contact Congress today to urge the following:

Reinstate the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education, which provides vital federal leadership and funding that improves schools, teaching, and student learning.Cuts to this program will take away funding for multi-year programs that are already in progress!

Restore FY11 funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, which was cut by 26% in the long-term FY11 funding bill passed by the House.

September 14, 2010

Take Action During Arts in Education Week

Washington, D.C. - Join with arts advocates throughout the country to raise your voice during Arts in Education Week, September 12-18, 2010. The U.S. House of Representatives has designated the second week of September as national Arts in Education Week, beginning this year. This is an opportunity for orchestras to step up year-round advocacy efforts and to ask their Members of Congress to enact policy reforms that will improve access to a complete arts education for all students.

Ask Congress to Support Arts Education

The League plays a leading role along with a broad range of national arts and education organizations, including the Performing Arts Alliance, in seeking major improvements for arts in education programs, research, policies, and national data collection at the U.S. Department of Education. Together, the arts community has written federal legislative recommendations and a national policy statement, Arts Education: Creating Student Success in School, Work, and Life, explaining how the arts can improve teaching and learning. As Congress moves toward reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and makes annual funding decisions, it is more important than ever not only to keep arts education as a core academic subject of learning, but to actually implement it as one.

The majority of key education policy decisions are made at the state and local level. Speak up in your community during Arts in Education Week and year-round to improve the status of arts education. More than 200 orchestras nationwide have endorsed a statement of common cause, Orchestras Support In-School Music Education, which reflects their commitment to take individual, community-specific action to improve access to music education in schools. View the statement and accompanying advocacy tips and tools to help make the case for improving access to music education for every child.

August 19, 2010

The U.S. House of Representatives has just created an annual September Arts in Education Week, which this year will be September 12th-18th. This is an opportunity for orchestras to amplify their ongoing national and local advocacy efforts to advance arts education as a core academic subject in our schools. The League will be working with our partner organizations to create visibility for this national advocacy effort. We realize it is short notice this year, but here are a few suggestions for how you can help in your community:

1. Check with teachers, PTA leaders, school board members, and other school leaders to learn how your orchestra can support arts education in your schools.

2. Seek opportunities for leaders of your orchestra (music director, musicians, executive director, board leaders, and others) to speak on behalf of in-school music education in the local press, at school board meetings, and in other public settings. 3. Review (and sign onto!) the League’s statement of common cause, Orchestras Support In-School Music Education. We will be publically promoting this statement during Arts in Education Week – you won’t want your orchestra to be left off the list of more than 200 orchestras that have signed on!

January 26, 2010

Arts in Education Grants Available at U.S. Dept. of Education

A small but important pool of funding is available at the U.S. Department of Education to support arts education in our nation's schools. The U.S. Department of Education's Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program (AEMDD) is currently accepting applications for FY10 awards. These highly competitive grants enable schools and organizations to integrate standards-based arts education into elementary and middle school curricula and improve students' academic performance. Eligible programs must be administered in partnership with a local education agency and can be up to four years in duration, with the first year used to plan an imbedded evaluation process.

At least five previous AEMDD awards have supported school-based collaborations with orchestras, including the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply is February 16, 2010 and the deadline for applications is March 16, 2010.

December 21, 2009

NEA and Arts Education Funding Increase

Congress has set the FY2010 funding levels for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, including increases in funding for both accounts.

Arts in Education funding at the U.S. Department of Education increased by $2 million for FY10. The increase in funding provides for a new competitive grant round for the Model Development and Dissemination grant program. Stay tuned for further information as the guidelines for this highly competitive application process become available.

August 20, 2009

Secretary Duncan Voices Support for Arts Education

This is the moment to make the case for arts education in your community! Your orchestra and arts advocates nationwide have some fresh talking points to leverage, courtesy of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Three sources provide valuable quotes endorsing the legitimacy of the arts as a core academic subject of learning:

An August letter from Secretary Duncan to school leaders emphasizes that the arts are a core subject of learning and that states and localities can use federal funds to support the arts.

Remarks by Duncan in an August 18 teleconference sponsored by NAMM and Supportmusic.com confirm that arts education can help meet national education goals of closing the achievement gap and raising the bar on student and school performance.

On the occasion of the June release of the Nation's Arts Report Card, Secretary Duncan said, "We can and should do better for America's students."

The letter can be a useful tool when communicating with local and state policy leaders regarding funding for arts education. The statement clearly emphasizes that, under federal law, the arts are a core academic subject of learning, and that states and localities can use federal funds to support arts education opportunities for all learners.

The NAMM Foundation and the SupportMusic Coalition, of which the League is a member, will host a live discussion with Secretary Duncan next Tuesday, moderated by Mary Luehrsen, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations for NAMM. Your participation is needed to help demonstrate your concern and highlight the need for all children to have access to the arts as part of a complete and quality education.

June 15, 2009

Today, for the first time in more than a decade, the U.S. Department of Education announced the results of the 2008 Nation's Arts Report Card, detailing how much eighth-grade students know and are able to do in music and the visual arts. The results, officially known as the 2008 National Assessment of Educational Progress in the Arts (NAEP) reveal barriers to student achievement in the arts, with significant racial/ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic gaps. The results elicited the most direct and supportive statement from the federal government regarding arts education in recent years. In response to the results, the Secretary of Education and senior officials at the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Assessment Governing Board all called for substantially increasing access to arts learning and significantly improving the quality of national data collection on the status of arts education in the nation's schools.

March 13, 2009

Obama Calls for Creativity and Innovation in Education Plan

In March 10 remarks announcing his education policy plan, President Obama said, "It's time to give all Americans a complete and competitive education from the cradle up through a career." The plan emphasizes early childhood education, performance pay for teachers, local school innovation, and lifelong learning opportunities. Orchestras, as local partners in strengthening arts education in the schools, have been calling for national, state, and local policies that ensure that every student has access to a complete education - one that includes comprehensive education in the arts.

While the plan does not specify arts education proposals, President Obama acknowledged the role that creativity will play in preparing students for a 21st century workforce, saying "I'm calling on our nation's governors and state education chiefs to develop standards and assessments that don't simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test, but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking and entrepreneurship and creativity." The plan also calls for doubling funding for afterschool programs , which have often provided opportunities for orchestras and other community organizations to partner with schools. Throughout this year, Congress and the White House will continue to work on the multi-year process of re-writing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (known as No Child Left Behind).

The FY09 omnibus bill included a $633,000 increase in funding for the competitive Arts in Education grant programs of the U.S. Department of Education. Despite the proposal of the past administration to eliminate Arts in Education spending, along with a number of smaller education programs, Congress acted once again to support arts education by approving $38.166 million for Arts in Education spending. A recent study released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds significant declines in arts education for minority and low-income students and calls for further research by the U.S. Department of Education to discover the status of arts education in our nation's schools.

July 15, 2008

House Appropriations Includes Arts Education Funding for FY09

The House Appropriations Subcommittee has approved $38.6 million for Arts Education at the U.S. Department of Education - only the second time in the past eight years that the House has included any funding for the Arts in Education programs. As with NEA funding, the most likely scenario for arts education spending is steady funding at last year's level until Congress re-considers federal funding in early 2009.

February 1, 2008

Voters Value the Imagination

A new national poll of 1,000 likely voters finds that, "30% of American voters are not only dissatisfied with public education's narrow focus on the ‘so-called' basics but that they also believe developing the imagination is a critical, but missing, ingredient to student success in 21st century schools and moving students beyond average." The pollsters say that this voting cohort - which is being called the "Imagine Nation" - is of a scale rivaling "soccer moms." This powerful affirmation of public support for arts education can be leveraged as orchestras act to strengthen the presence of music education in the schools.

The U.S. Department of Education announces two grant programs currently accepting applications.

The Professional Development for Arts Educators Program supports the implementation of high-quality professional development model programs in K-12 education for music, dance, drama, media arts, or visual arts educators. The deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply is February 11, 2008 and the deadline for transmittal of applications is February 29, 2008.

The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program is designed to enable schools and organizations to develop and disseminate comprehensive approaches for integrating the arts into elementary and middle school curricula, strengthening arts instruction in these grade levels, and improving students’ academic performance. The deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply is February 13, 2008 and the deadline for transmittal of applications is March 14, 2008.

December 19, 2007

Arts Ed Advances; Survey Fully Funded

What is the status of arts education in our nation’s schools? After nearly 10 years without comprehensive national data, Congress has approved more than $2 million in funding to support a fast-response arts education survey in the 08-09 school year. Orchestras and other arts advocates rallied behind this request for data collection.

Congress also approved near-level funding for the competitive Arts in Education grant programs of the U.S. Department of Education, following an across-the-board cut to all of the Department's programs. Despite the President’s proposal to eliminate Arts in Education spending, along with a number of smaller education programs, Congress acted to approve a total of $37.5 million in Arts in Education spending for FY08.

November 20, 2007

NEA and Education Funding Stalled

Potential historic increases in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Arts Education are in jeopardy as Congress and the White House face off over total spending for the current fiscal year. On November 13, the President vetoed the Labor-HHS-Education funding bill, which included unprecedented support for arts education funding and would have fully funded long-awaited research on the status of arts education in our nation's schools. Only one of the 12 federal FY08 spending measures - the Defense bill - has been signed into law. Congress may craft a catch-all spending bill in December, but holding on to the gains in arts funding will be tough as Washington policymakers whittle away at all proposed increases in domestic spending.

September 27, 2007

New Proposals to Strengthen Arts Education

While the most important advocacy for arts education in our schools often happens at the local and state levels, improving the federal education laws can open the door to improved policies nationwide. As Congress begins to re-consider the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and writes the newest version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the arts community is calling for specific improvements to the law that determines how the federal government supports education. The League, in partnership with more than 20 national arts and education organizations, is calling on Congress to improve access to arts education for all students by enacting specific legislative recommendations. The process of re-considering NCLB will be a multi-year effort. Stay tuned for targeted opportunities to weigh in with your members of Congress.